Don't Leave Me
by Durbe the Barian
Summary: It was just a little walk...so why did it have to end with him in a hospital bed? A fic for justanotherdreamgirl. (Also a sequel to A Visit from a Barian.) Diamondshipping.


**Zexal Oneshot:**

**Don't Leave Me**

**Romance/Angst**

**Kaito/Rio**

**It was just a little walk...so why did it have to end with him in a hospital bed? A fic for justanotherdreamgirl. (Also a sequel to A Visit from a Barian.)**

**(I don't own Zexal. I don't own the inspiration. I don't own the suggestion. I'm just the writer. DEAL WITH IT.)**

**If anybody notices similarities between this story and Animecartoonlover36's story, "A Sacrifice of Love," please know that I actually got her permission to write this. I am not copying her stuff. At least not intentionally.**

* * *

Don't Leave Me

* * *

It was a beautiful day. The snow was sparkling on the sidewalk as the sun shined high above Heartland City. Just a week after Christmas.

It was beautiful.

And that was where the trouble began.

Kaito had finally gotten over his flu, and was enjoying a winter walk alongside Rio. Naturally, Ryoga was very reluctant to let them go out together, seeing as how it looked too much like an actual date, but one look from Rio forced him to stand down, which was good, because they had been arguing for almost an hour before she resorted to the glare.

Just when Kaito was beginning to wonder if she'd ever come outside.

* * *

They started their walk that day with smiles on their faces. Yes, that includes Kaito, though his was a ghost at best. "Mo! Kaito-kun!" Rio exclaimed. "Would it kill you to actually smile?"

"What do you mean?" Kaito asked. "I'm smiling."

"That's not a smile," Rio said. "That's an excuse."

"It's a smile for me," Kaito retorted.

"Whatever," Rio groaned.

Kaito didn't even have to try and he had the argument won. He wanted to laugh at his success, but for some reason, he didn't. He couldn't find the need as of yet.

"So, Kaito-kun," Rio said, "why did you ask me out for a walk?"

Here, Kaito froze. He didn't exactly know how to answer it. "Well," he began, "I guess...I wanted to thank you for the visit."

Rio instantly turned bright red. "What visit?" she asked.

Kaito's silence gave her her answer. Rio's face just went brighter. "So then you-"

The redness in their faces was the only thing they shared, other than their awkward silence. "Ummm...," Rio began. "So...you aren't angry? You know...about the...?"

"Yeah, about that," Kaito said. "I actually wanted to talk to you about it."

Rio's face suddenly paled. "What's the matter?" Kaito asked.

"Well, it's just that," Rio began. "Excuse me!"

Then she started to race across the street, tears threatening to stream down her face. "M-Matte, Rio!" Kaito shouted. "It's not safe!"

Rio didn't hear him. Either that, or she simply didn't care. Regardless, she wasn't able to notice the truck that was heading towards her. Nor did she notice the patch of ice it raced over.

She could only remember Kaito screaming her name.

And hearing the honking of the truck's horn as the driver attempted to stop or swerve.

* * *

Rio opened her eyes, expecting pain or bright lights. But what she got made her wish for it.

She wasn't injured. Not in the least. The most she got was snow on her coat. But Kaito was in the middle of the street, the truck several feet away from him. Her eyes widened when the realization dawned on her. Kaito...had taken her place.

"KAITO-KUUUUN!" Rio shrieked.

* * *

(Later.)

The ambulance arrived shortly afterwards.

Then the two of them were taken to the hospital and Rio was separated from Kaito.

Ryoga and the Tenjo family arrived at the hospital as soon as they got the news. "Rio!" Ryoga shouted.

Rio was in the lobby, a small band-aid on her forehead. Her face was red with tears.

"Rio!" went Ryoga. "Are you okay?" He brushed Rio's bangs away from her face.

"I'm fine," Rio said softly, the occasional tear falling down her face. "But..."

"Rio-neechan," Haruto squeaked, running over to Rio and placing his hands on her lap. "What's the matter?"

Rio's tears didn't stop, rather, they only increased. "Kaito-kun," she choked.

"What's the matter with Kaito?" Dr. Faker asked worriedly.

Even Ryoga had to admit to his worry for the Number Hunter.

"Are you Kaito Tenjo's father?" a doctor asked, walking over to Dr. Faker.

Dr. Faker looked over to him. "Yes," he answered. "Is Kaito...?"

The doctor sighed. "I'm afraid it's not good," he said.

Haruto raced over to the doctor and grabbed his coat. "He's not gonna die, is he?!" the little boy cried. "My brother's gonna be okay, right?!"

The doctor placed his hand on Haruto's head. "I'm afraid...Kaito is in a coma."

Haruto froze for a moment before burying his face in the doctor's coat, choking on his sobs. "No way," went Ryoga. "Kaito is in a..."

Rio was the next to cry into someone's jacket. In her case, Ryoga's jacket. "Kaito-kun!" she sobbed.

Other than their tears, there was only a heavy silence in the lobby.

* * *

A coma.

She didn't want to believe it. She **couldn't** believe it. But the evidence was right in front of her. There he was, in a hospital bed, with only machines keeping him alive. Both his arm and several of his ribs were broken. His broken and battered state was too much for Rio to take. Her face, reddened from nonstop tears, was enough evidence of that.

She visited him every day, doing little more than staring at his face. After about three days of doing no more than that, she lowered her head and began to sob. "Oh, Kaito-kun," she choked. "Gomen'nasai."

A cold hand touched her shoulder and she jerked her head back. Durbe was standing behind her, his face cheeks red from the cold outside. "Durbe-kun!" she exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm sure he doesn't blame you for this, Rio-chan," he said. "He chose it."

Rio then shot up from her chair. "Just like you chose to protect me from Vector?" she asked, raising her voice slightly. "What is it with you boys and protecting me?!"

Durbe was taken aback slightly.

"You, Ryoga, Kaito-kun," Rio continued, "you're always protecting me. Can't you trust me to protect myself?!"

"Rio-chan...," Durbe said softly.

"Can't you trust me?!" Rio shouted.

Durbe remained silent for a moment. "Yes, Rio-chan," he said. "But we only protect you because we don't want to lose you. Kaito...didn't want to lose you."

"But I don't want to-" Rio began.

"You don't want to lose him either?" Durbe asked.

Rio froze as a soft smile crossed Durbe's face. "Then don't worry," he said. "If neither one of you wants to lose the other, then he'll come back to you." His smile increased. "I'm sure of it."

Rio paused for a moment, then smiled and gave him a hug. "Arigato, Durbe-kun," she said, tears falling down her face.

Just then a nurse entered the room. "I'm sorry," she said, "but visiting hours are over now. I'm gonna have to ask you to leave."

"Okay," Rio said. Then she walked over to Kaito and gave him a kiss on the forehead. "I'll be back, Kaito-kun," she said. "I promise."

Then she followed Durbe out of the hospital room. "Well, see you tomorrow, Durbe-kun," she said.

"Right," Durbe agreed softly. "I'll see you at the school."

Rio smiled, then left Durbe to lean against the wall. "He shall come back to you, Rio-chan," he thought softly, racing his hand through his grey hair. "After all, he's your soulmate."

* * *

True to what he said, Kaito did return to her.

It was a week after the accident, and during that entire week, Rio had spent all her free time visiting Kaito.

She sat down in her usual chair and took his pale hand into both of her own. "I'm here, Kaito-kun," she said. In that short week, that became the first thing she was to say to him.

A sad smile appeared on her face as she looked at Kaito's pale face. According to the doctors, his injuries weren't as bad as they had thought, so it wouldn't surprise them if he woke up any day now. But one look at his face and the thought that he might never wake up would attack her again.

Tears fell down Rio's face as she lowered her head. She didn't want to think of it, but she always did. "Kaito-kun," she sobbed. "I miss you. I don't want...I don't want to lose you. Kaito-kun...I love you. Don't leave me."

She allowed herself to fall to the bed and soak the bedsheets with her tears.

There was a few minutes of silent tears before anything happened.

But then, Rio felt Kaito's once stiff fingers slowly wrap around her hand. Instantly, her eyes opened and she looked up to him.

Kaito's familiar grey eyes were looking at her, a soft smile on his face. "What's the matter, Rio?" he asked. "Why are you crying?"

Rio wasn't thinking when she stood up. She wasn't thinking when she hugged him and hurt his ribs with her elbow. She wasn't thinking when she cried and spoke his name.

She was too happy to think.

Kaito was back.

* * *

Rio wasn't the only one to cry when it was discovered that he woke up. Haruto followed, burying his face in Kaito's chest. Even Faker was tearing up. (Heck, even Ryoga, though he didn't want to admit it.)

With all the visitors racing through Kaito's room, such as Yuma screaming 'Yeah! You're okay!" and Tetsuo saying, "You really scared Rio-san all week. You need to apologize to her," it was only when visiting hours were nearing its end that Rio and Kaito had a moment to themselves.

Rio was sitting in her usual chair, her hands resting on her lap. "Kaito-kun...," she began. "I've been wondering all week, what did you want to talk about? You know...before I..."

Kaito smiled softly, then placed his good hand on Rio's shoulder. "I just wanted to say thank you," he said. "For visiting me when I was sick. And for the Christmas gift. I appreciated it."

Rio's face brightened up. "Then you weren't angry?" she asked.

Kaito chuckled softly. "What made you think I was angry?"

"I don't know," Rio admitted. "I guess I...jumped to conclusions."

Yet another pause and uncomfortable silence. "Kaito-kun, I'm sorry," Rio said.

"For what?" Kaito asked.

"For racing out into the street like that," Rio said. "If I didn't do that, you wouldn't have..."

Kaito stopped her before the tears poured down her face again.

He wrapped his good arm around her, ignoring the sharp pain in his ribs. "You don't have to be sorry," he said. "I chose to do that. I didn't...I didn't want to lose you, Rio."

Rio's eyes widened. "Wh-What do you mean?" she stuttered.

To answer, he leaned forward and gave her a kiss. And not just a kiss on the forehead, like Rio was giving him. (Since his mouth was covered with an oxygen mask.) This was full on the lips, leaving no questions to ask.

She had her answer.

He didn't want to lose her. He didn't want to lose her...because he loved her.

There was a calming silence in his hospital room. And it remained that way until Ryoga came into the room to take Rio home.

* * *

**D.T.B: Yay. Diamondshipping that was actually longer than 1000 words. YAY! So! Hoped you enjoyed. Please review. Tell me how I did. Sorry for OOC-ness. Blah blah blah. XD **


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